Mark R. Twombly is a writer and editor who has been flying for 35 years. He lives in Florida.
You don't have to look too far to find a general aviation airport that is faltering under economic or political pressure, but to say that bad news abounds would be a mistake. In fact, I have to go no farther than my home airport to see something positive afoot.
Earlier this summer the Florida Department of Transportation named Page Field in Fort Myers Florida's General Aviation Airport of the Year for 2002. That makes it tops among the state's 109 public-use general aviation airports — quite an honor.
In the interest of full disclosure, it must be reported that the competition is a tad incestuous. Airports nominate themselves for the award. The Lee County Port Authority, which manages Page Field for the county, submitted a detailed presentation to the state making the case that the airport is undergoing a renaissance.
Page was founded in 1926 and served as Southwest Florida's major airline and general aviation airport until 1983, when a new airport opened just seven miles to the southeast. Page officially became a general aviation reliever, but while everyone's attention was focused on the big new international airport, Page began suffering from management neglect. By the mid-1990s it had an aging infrastructure and an annual operating deficit of nearly $300,000. The hot new airline airport had to support its doddering old GA parent.
A new management team at the port authority embarked on a plan to turn Page Field around, make it financially self-sufficient, and undertake badly needed improvements. The effort has been remarkably successful. Today, Page sparkles with resurfaced runways and ramps, new hangars, new airfield lighting and signage, an active pilot and based-aircraft population, a growing list of aviation-related and nonaviation tenants including a new retail shopping center, and a budget that is an attractive shade of black.
I consider myself fortunate to be based at Page because it has just about everything I need. My airplane resides in one of those new hangars. We have excellent maintenance and avionics shops on the field, three flight schools, two aircraft dealers, two large flying clubs, an EAA chapter clubhouse, an aviation medical examiner, and a pilot shop where I can buy a case of oil, the latest Trade-A-Plane, and the current Miami Terminal Area Chart.
A part-time contract air traffic control tower sequences local traffic and coordinates my comings and goings with the area approach control facility. The airport has two runways and a precision instrument approach. I can fill the tanks of my airplane with reasonably priced 100LL (currently $2.22 a gallon) from a self-serve facility. And although there is no restaurant on the field, the popcorn at the FBO is free and the soft drinks are a bargain at 50 cents a can.
All agree that the airport has undergone major renovations, and there are more to come — more hangars and ramps, more office space, a new FBO building, and maybe even an airfield restaurant. Change has been good for Page Field, but it hasn't come without growing pains that are probably typical of what other general aviation airports across the country will experience, if they aren't already.
The port authority's plan to revitalize Page hinged on gaining control of the airport's major source of revenue — fuel sales — to cover operating costs and reinvest in airfield improvements. One of two independent FBOs on the field was bought out, and after a protracted legal battle the second was forced to close and the building demolished. The port authority became the owner and operator of the sole FBO on the airport. No longer would private enterprise take the risks and keep the profits. The government was running the show now.
The financial strategy has worked. In the past fiscal year, Page had $334,000 of retained earnings — call it profit — to reinvest in the airport. Net fuel sales accounted for 50 to 55 percent of that amount while land, hangar, and building lease income made up the rest.
Most Americans look uncomfortably at the government monopolizing what traditionally has been competitive commercial activity. But the fact is that unless an airport receives financial support from airline activity or ad valorem taxes (a percentage of the value of the property being taxed), it must depend on revenue generated on the airport for its survival and growth.
So we're likely to see more airports go the way of Page Field, where a government entity does it all — establishes and enforces the rules, manages the airport day-to-day, and also owns and operates the most lucrative enterprises on the field: FBO fuel sales and land, hangar, and building leasing.
If so, let's hope those government managers take a cue from Page Field and regularly include airport users in their circle of advisors. Page Field has an active users group that represents aircraft owners, pilots, airport-based businesses, the air traffic control tower, and airport management. The group meets regularly to exchange news, identify problems, and work toward solutions.
As the AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer for Page Field, I participate in the users group, and in my opinion we've been influential in helping to shape some of the changes that have occurred.
Our input on the draft of a new five-year master plan for the airport helped persuade the port authority to add angled taxiways to the primary runway and accelerate the schedule for building new T-hangars. We pushed for a better working relationship with the control tower, and the new manager in the tower has responded positively. We identified a need for more local safety seminars, and now the schedule calls for nearly one a month. We've met with local homeowners who have complained about aircraft noise, and we've discussed ways that Page pilots can fly friendly. We've convinced the port authority to remove an objectionable liability provision from the airport's tiedown and hangar agreement. And, we've conducted the first of what we hope will be an annual opinion survey of airport users.
Most problems among people arise from, or are made worse by, poor communication. In the absence of communication, people usually assume the worst. Page Field users don't always agree with Page Field management, but at least we can and do communicate. That has made for a better airport for everyone.
There's plenty to be proud of at Page Field, not the least of which is the continuing dialogue that both management and users have worked hard to establish and sustain. If there is an example that other airports can take from Florida's General Aviation Airport of the Year, it ought to be to listen to their users.
